Primary field of expertise: Kay is an expert in Library and Information Services, research data policy development and data management; Indigenous Knowledge Systems research; Library planning and management, training of library personnel; training of library users in information literacy; development of sustainable Library Associations.

Experience: Director Library Services, University of Botswana (1981-2010). She provided leadership in Academic library planning and management including library design and automation. Founder chair of the Botswana Library Association; the regional Standing Conference of National and University Librarians of East, Central and Southern Africa; Lead Facilitator of negotiations for the Unification of South African racially segregated Association resulting in the establishment of the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA). Elected President of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA )www.ifla.org, the first president from Africa and the Developing World (2003-2005). As President, Kay provided leadership for the IFLA delegation to the World Information Society Initiative (WSIS) (2003) in advocacy to the world Governments to recognise the role of libraries and archives, as users and managers of content that is delivered through the information communication technologies (ICT). Delegates were thus sufficiently convinced to establish inclusive policies for their national development of ICT infrastructures.

Service

Kay is a former Board Member and Trustee of the International Network for Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) (http://www.inasp.info). Since 2014 she has served as a Board member and Trustee of the Research Data Alliance (www.rd-alliance.org) and is a passionate Advocate for policies on Open Data/Open Science in Africa. She thus provided strategic leadership in the development of an advocacy plan and program for engaging African research institutes, universities in Africa to engage on benefits of Open Data, Open Science and Open Access such as provision of evidence to support decision making by individuals, communities and Governments.

Kay was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Alberta, Canada in 2010 in recognition of her contribution to the field of library and information science, and support of children’s information, literacy and sustained culture of reading. She is an Honorary Fellow of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (FCILIP) of the United Kingdom; She is a Fellow of the Nigerian Library Association (FNLA) and Fellow of the Library Association of South Africa (LIASA)

Advocacy work

Kay is a former member of the Board of Trustees for Code Canada (www.codecan.org) an organization supporting local children’s book production in select developing countries, in collaboration with in-country partners. She founded the Botswana Children’s Information Trust in support of integration of school with indigenous knowledge learning systems through story telling by elders and the children sharing and writing their own stories.

Co- developed “Tell a Story” project, approved by the Ministry of Basic Education (Botswana) and supported by volunteers. The project seeks to capitalise on stories written by K1-2 children as a product of the “Break through to Literacy” – a teaching method that creates easy to read Setswana booklets for K1-3 and contributes to a nurture of a culture of reading.

Kay is a former member of the selection board for the NOMA Award for African Publishing: responsible for annual selection of the best literary work by an African author, produced by an African publisher. Her focus genre was children’s books. She has served as Trustee and Board member of the Women’s Finance House Botswana, an NGO providing financing to small businesses run by women. She is a founding member of the Community Support Group to the Botswana Substance Abuse Support Network (BOSASNET)